Roswell Fanatics

AUTHOR: Truman11883
TITLE: Rescue Me
RATING: NC-17 eventually
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from Roswell, just borrowing them.
SUMMARY: Liz Parker and Max Evans are students at UNM. Liz has abilities that she can't explain. Max rescues her and learns her secret. There are no aliens or Tess.




Chapter 11



“Liz, say something. Please.”

Taking a deep breath, she braced herself for the inevitable. “Um … no Max, you’re not crazy. You heard me scream.”

He expelled a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. His eyes searched hers, waiting for her explanation and bracing himself against all the possibilities that she could use to clarify his questions.

“You are right. You heard me scream when my mouth was covered because I didn’t scream with my mouth.”

His confused expression only discouraged her. She wanted to put this as simply as she could, making the pain pass as quick as possible. She took one last deep breath before letting the three words that she had feared most in her life leave her lips.

“I’m different, Max.”




Chapter 12



What was that supposed to mean? Different. Obviously she’s different. He has always known that, ever since high school. She was always so different from all the other immature adolescents roaming the halls of West Roswell High and it only made her that much more desirable. The level or mystery she held was enticing, almost magnetic. He couldn’t help but be taken with her since childhood. Her differences, even though completely unidentified, were what he loved most about her. But it wasn’t just that, the way she said it. ‘I’m different Max’ was filled with self-loathing and sorrow. It was as if she knew any moment he would come to his senses, realizing what he wasn’t sure, and abandon her. Well, he had sworn he would never leave, and he would be damned if he broke that promise now. Not after all they had been through.

His eyes studied her, his brows burrowing slightly in his confusion of her cryptic explanation. Max silently waited for her to continue, recognizing that she would need the necessary room to offer a full and complete explanation and he was more than happy to comply.

Keeping her voice low, Liz continued with her secret. She silently prayed that she would get through it without loosing all emotional control in front of him. “I have these … powers, I guess. I can do things that no one else can, with my mind.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

She looked at him again, desperation and frustration filling her quickly. She needed him to understand the significance of this secret. She needed to give him an example, one that wasn’t tainted with distress or adrenaline. One that couldn’t be mistaken, that was as clear as the daylight that surrounded them in the quad. She racked her brain for an acceptable illustration of her gifts, when her eyes fell on his cell phone sitting in front of him on the picnic table, unmoved from its position since Max’s conversation with Michael.

Coming to an unspoken decision, Liz quickly scanned the grassy area around her and Max, making sure no one was paying attention to them. Her eyes met his again as she extended her right hand slowly towards the phone, and then broke contact with his as they focused on the object at hand. His eyes followed hers, and widened as his cell phone moved quietly towards her outstretched hand. It slid the five-inch gap across the picnic table coming to rest in the palm of her right hand. She replaced the phone in its original position on the table and quietly waited for his reaction.

At first his mind was numb, unable to process what had just happened. She had moved the cell phone, with her mind. Was it possible? Could it really be possible? He quickly picked up the phone and examined it, looked for the trick or deception that he was sure was hidden. A magnet, a string, something. But his search was unfounded and he set the phone back on the table in front of him.

“Do it again.”

Slightly shaking her head, “Max, I can’t. Someone will see…”

“Do it …again.” He needed to see it again. The first time could have been a fluke. He needed to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. He needed to give his mind time to firmly grasp the explanation she was giving him. She said she had powers and he needed more proof of it.

Resignedly, she complied, once again scanning the quad searching for unwanted spectators, and then extended her hand and drew the cell phone into her waiting palm. She replaced the phone before him and lowered her eyes to her clasped hands in her lap, waiting for the impending harsh words that she knew would come any moment. He would deny her. He had sworn he would never leave her, and she knew after today, she would never see him again.

His mind raced the questions, but none of them exited his mouth. He couldn’t seem to get his throat to work. What do you say to someone who just confessed they had psychic abilities? Not only that, but they had proved it openly to you. He knew he had to say something.

There was one question he wanted answered, “What else can you do?”

Her head shot up at his inquiry. Did she hear curiosity in his voice? Not disdain? Could it be possible? “Um … I can move things, I … I can get flashed from objects. If I touch them and there is a strong emotion or event attached to it, I’ll get a flash. Uh, dreams are enhanced and all of my senses are heightened … I,”

“Wait, your senses are heightened? What does that mean?”

“My five senses are stronger than normal. All of them, smell, taste, touch. Like, right now,” she closed her eyes in concentration. Maybe this would go better than she had thought. “Behind me, there’s a … woman, eating a hotdog. With ketchup.”

Max leaned to his right, searching for the subject behind her. Sure enough, no more than 100 feet away from them, a woman sat on a bench eating a hotdog, with ketchup, while reading a newspaper. He focused once again on Liz as she opened her eyes and tentatively let them meet his. And that’s when he saw it. Fear. She was scared. Of what he couldn’t be sure. Probably of his reaction, or imminent reaction rather, since he really had not let his feelings shown. And if he could get a firm grip on any one emotion, he would gladly display it.

Wanting to answer his question fully, she continued. “The night of the attack, I used my mind to scream out for help. You heard me call out to you in your mind.”

That’s when realization hit him. She used her powers, gifts, whatever that night. “Liz, if what you’re saying is true, you could have fought Kyle off by yourself. You could’ve moved something to knock him off of you, even moved him off of you.”

“He hit me before I could. I was … disoriented. I could barely keep my eyes open and he was so strong …” her voice caught in her throat as she struggled to finish her thought. “He was pinning me down. It was dark; I was in and out of consciousness. I was desperate, Max. Please, you have to understand that.” She could tell he was starting to open up to the idea, and even if he wasn’t, he was still here. He hadn’t walked away, yet. So she continued, “Max I can swear to you that I have never used my powers against anyone. I have never hurt anyone in my life with them, and I never will.”

Here eyes flooded with tears as her emotions began to overtake her. She had tried to be strong, but now all she wanted to do was to go home and cry into her pillow forever, never having to face the harsh reality of his desertion.

“How is this possible? I mean, this isn’t possible … is it?”

“I don’t know how. I wish I did. Then maybe I could figure out how to get rid of them.” The last statement had been more to herself than anyone as she started to revert to the Liz Parker that Max knew in high school. Quiet, reserved, shy, anxious. And fearful. The only difference was that now Max knew why she was afraid, and he wasn’t sure what he could do about it. If there was anything he could do about it.

She had just told him that she had powers. Hopelessness nearly overtook her as she explained further, “Max, you can’t tell anyone about this. Please. You have to understand, if the wrong people found out what I can do … God I don’t even what to think about it. We’re both from Roswell; you know the rumors of the crash. What the government supposedly did to those aliens. Area 51 and the weather balloon cover up. The government will come after me if they find out. They’ll lock me up in some white room and … and do things … to me. Please Max. You have to keep this a secret. My life depends on it.”

His mind was working over time. He needed to sort his thoughts out, the new information he had just gotten needed to be organized and examined and deciphered. He needed time to think. He put his cell phone in his coat pocket and stood up slowly, unsure that his legs would work or hold his weight upright.

“I, um … I need to think.”

‘Oh, no,’ she thought. ‘Please God no.’ She swallowed hard as the tears finally fell from her eyes. He was leaving her. She knew it would happen, but she couldn’t help but hold on to a little shred of hope that maybe he would understand. Maybe he wouldn’t turn her away. Maybe he would love her, in spite of everything. Liz lowered her head in defeat as he moved around the table.

Her head shot up to look at her left shoulder where a hand was softly placed just moments before. Max was kneeling before her, his eyes searching hers, begging for her to understand. “Liz, I just need to think. This is … major. What you just said is some heavy shit. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but … I need to sort everything out.”

She nodded slowly as he stood again and moved away from their table. She wiped her tears from her cheeks, trying to stay positive. He had taken the news rather well, much better than Alex and Maria. Maybe everything would turn out all right.

One last question lingered in his mind, and he turned slowly to face her. “Liz?”

She faced him, attempting to keep a vice grip on the last of her strength.

“Why? Why did you tell me? This isn’t a secret you just tell anyone. You could’ve said just about anything and I would’ve believed you. Why?”

She slowly rose from her seat, slinging her purse over her shoulder and crossed the grass in his direction, intent on going home. But before she left him to his thoughts, Liz stopped right in front on him, looking up into his eyes, “It was you.”

AUTHOR: Truman11883
TITLE: Rescue Me
RATING: NC-17 eventually
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from Roswell, just borrowing them.
SUMMARY: Liz Parker and Max Evans are students at UNM. Liz has abilities that she can't explain. Max rescues her and learns her secret. There are no aliens or Tess.




Chapter 13



He took another deep breath, sucking in the cleansing, crisp fall air. Max was in his favorite spot in the world, the desert. Looking out over the rock and sand, watching the sun hit the different colors making them glow and shimmer was always comforting to him. Ever since moving to Albuquerque for school, he would retreat here whenever he would fight with his sister or just needed time to himself. He was always able to sort out his thoughts, formulate a plan of action, or come to terms with events in his life. But right that instant, Max was unable to do anything but breathe, and even that was difficult.

Liz was special, he had always known this. But the sheer magnitude of how special was just now starting to make itself evident. Even earlier that day when Liz openly proved her abilities, he could only watch and take it in, postponing reaction and emotion to a later time.

One image kept repeating itself in his mind, and not the obvious one. He supposed the image of the phone sliding across the picnic table to her hand should be in his mind at that moment. But Max saw a different image; her eyes – over and over again. How they shimmered with tears. How they silently begged him to understand. How they lowered in defeat. And the same emotion rolled in his stomach making him sick. He had done that to her. He had made her feel unloved, desperate, defeated. She was completely honest with him and he had walked away. And he hated himself for it.

Did it really matter that she had these “powers?” Did he love her any less? ‘Of course not,’ he kept telling himself. ‘She’s still Liz Parker. If anything I love her more.’ So why was he still sitting on a large boulder out looking the setting sun on the desert? Simple. He was afraid.

Ironic, how Liz had been so obviously afraid of how he would react to her secret, and now Max was completely petrified that she would turn him away for his reaction. As she had sat across from him on the picnic table, his heart wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and comfort her and tell her that he loved her. But, for some reason that he couldn’t determine he had gone with his head. And his head was screaming for time. Time to “figure things out.”

‘How pathetic,’ he thought. ‘What she must think of me. She probably hates me. Please, God don’t let her hate me.’

“I don’t know what I’d do,” he said out loud to the wind. He needed her; she was his lifeline.

And then he realized that, not only was she his lifeline, but Max wanted Liz to want him as her lifeline. He wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her. He not only wanted it, he needed it. He had searched for his dream girl, his soul mate, his entire life. And he vowed to himself in that moment that he would do everything he could to ensure that she was in his life.

With that thought in mind, and renewed energy and determination flowing through his veins, he stood and walked back to his jeep. He sped from a walk to a jog, wanted to get back to town as quickly as possible. Back to Liz as quickly as possible. And a small smile crept over his face as the memory of Liz in his last dream came over him. She had said she loved him, and if he had anything to do with it, the real Liz Parker would say the same thing very soon.



* * * * * * * *


“Michael,” Maria said over light giggles as they both lay on the couch. She glances down and saw that his head had disappeared under her shirt. “Michael we should probably stop. You know Liz will be back soon … So …” Her train of thought was lost as he continued his ministrations. “Um, wha-what was I saying again?”

He pulled his head out of her shirt, putting light kisses on her stomach and then her throat. “You were just telling me how much you wanted me to stop. But I don’t think I can do that.”

“Oh? And why’s that?”

“You haven’t convinced me.” He looked deeply into her eyes as the desire in his matched hers. “Convince me Maria. Tell me how much you want me to stop.” He sucked on her ear and she inhaled sharply. “Tell me.”

“I … um,” and was cut short as the front door was flung open. Michael’s head shot up to look at her in question. Maria held a finger to her lips asking him to be quiet as she fixed her hair and straightened her clothes. She had damage control, to occupy Liz and get Michael out of the apartment unseen. Not undoable, but definitely tricky.

“Maria! Maria, are you here?” Liz managed to get out as another bout of tears came pouring down her cheeks. Here eyes were red and blood shot from overuse. She had not cried this hard for this long since high school, since her parents died. She never thought she would feel this alone or desperate ever again and here she was, her trust and faith completely obliterate.

Maria’s head shot up, peering over the back of the couch toward the front door where Liz still stood, switching from sexy girlfriend to bestest friend quickly. “Liz? Babe, what’s wrong?” She moved from the couch to try and draw attention away from the now hiding Michael.

“I … I told him, Maria. I told him … everything,” she croaked out through her sobs.
Maria slightly shook her head, not understanding. “Liz, chica, what are you talking about? Told who about what?” She put her arms on Liz’s shoulders in support.

“Max. I told Max everything.” Maria’s eyes doubled as she quietly asked her question.

“Yes, everything. A detective came to see him today. He was asking questions, saying that things didn’t add up. How my throat was too damages to scream but Max still heard me three times. He told me that he heard me scream when … when Kyle’s hand was on my mouth. So I told him everything. About what I can do, how he found me that night, my powers and …”

“Your what?” Michael lifted his head from behind the couch in question. His ears had perked up when she had said Max’s name and couldn’t help but listen, fully intent on sifting through the girl talk that he was expecting. But powers? What the hell is she talking about?

Liz’s eyes darted in his direction, first in confusion and then they doubled in horror. Michael had heard. Michael Guerin, best friend of the man that had broken her heart had just heard her secret. Michael had … been lying on a couch in a dark living room with Maria. Liz turned back to Maria in question, fully expecting an explanation.

Maria looked to the ground, “Yeah, Liz. Um … Michael and I … well I was going to tell you but …” Her eyes slowly rose to meet hers in a silent apology. It had just never seemed like the right time. She had planned on informing Liz of her newfound love as soon as Liz had healed and gotten past the attack. The last thing Maria had wanted was to hurt her, to inadvertently let someone know Liz’s secret.

Liz turned her head from Maria to Michael, who was still waiting for an explanation, and then back to Maria. “Yeah,” she said quietly. Her world was falling apart and now her best friend had quite possibly annihilated the last shred of sanity she was holding onto. She looked deeply into Maria’s eyes, letting her see without reservation all of Liz’s anger and frustration. “Yeah! I see how it is. Thanks Maria. I’m glad I know where we stand,” she said. Liz gathered her purse from the floor and headed towards the door fully intent on escaping from the impossible situation.

“Lizzie wait! I’m sorry. I was going to tell you. But, it just didn’t seem right. I’m so sorry.”

“Get out of my way Maria.” When she didn’t move, Liz said wearily, “Just let me go.”

“Hey! I’m still here ya know?” Michael called from his spot on the couch.

Neither of the two girls looked in his direction. One best friend silently pleaded the other for forgiveness. The other wordlessly requested the first to get the fuck out of the way. Maria relented, moving to her right, letting Liz pass by to the door.

Before she shut the door, Liz added, “Tell him.” She looked Maria square in the eyes and continued without trying to hide her resentment. “The least you can do is be honest with him,” she said as she closed the door on Maria.



* * * * * * * *


Anxiety was all he could acknowledge. He was so nervous at see Liz. He had just parked his jeep outside her building and was making his way across the parking lot. He wondered if he should have gotten some kind of gift, maybe some roses as an apology. Max was silently psyching himself up for the uphill battle he was sure he would have to climb when Liz ran out of her building in tears, nearly knocking him over.

He quickly caught her and steadied the two of them, holding her in his arms for a second making sure she was okay. She was about to apologize for her clumsiness to the stranger when she recognized his scent. The masculine scent that followed Max everywhere hung in the air, clinging to him and quickly engulfed her. She slowly looked up to him through her teary eyes, unsure of what to expect or what he would say to her.

“Hey,” he said as his right hand came up to stroke her cheek. He noticed her emotional state immediately and assumed that she was crying because of him. “Please don’t cry Liz. I’m sorry for the way I reacted. I should have never walked away like that.” He kept his voice low and soothing. She closed her eyes in revelry that he was here with her, holding her close, and not moving away. “I just needed to think. I’m so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?” He leaned his head a little closer to her, brushing her tears away as they fell from her eyes down her cheeks. She wasn’t moving away, which he took as a good sign. Maybe she didn’t hate him after all.

Liz opened her eyes to look into his, reading the evident remorseful he held. But her sorrow came full circle and her throat could only emit sobs as she flung herself into his arms. Her head was buried into the crook of his neck as she sought refuge in his warm arms that gave her so much comfort. His hands gently stroked her back her tiny frame shook while she wept, keeping her close to him.

“It’s okay Liz. Everything will be okay. We’ll get through this.” He leaned his head down closer to hers as he lowered his voice just above a whisper. “I’m not going anywhere Liz. You can trust me. I’ll never hurt you again … I love you.”

Liz’s sobs abruptly stopped as his words finally penetrated her consciousness. He loved her. Could it be? How could he love her after what he knew? It’s not possible. She leaned back, turning her head up to his. “What?” she quietly asked, hoping she had heard him right, but unsure of how she would react to his response.

Suddenly unafraid, he repeated, “I love you Liz. I always have.” He debated whether or not he should, but then threw all caution to the wind as he leant down as kissed her lightly on her lips. It was a tender, almost innocent kiss in nature. Almost. It held so much longing and promise. It represented the undying love he held for her along with the immeasurable anguish for his earlier reaction.

He pulled away slowly, nearly terrified to open his eyes and see her rejection of him in her eyes. When he did manage to summon enough strength to do so, they both could do nothing but stand in silence. Liz, stunned speechless by his admission, was left staring into his amber eyes. He loved her. Of all the times that she had dreamt of him saying those words, the joy of reality outdid the fantasies ten fold. She didn’t want to be alone, she didn’t want to be without him anymore.

“Take me away Max. Take me somewhere? I just … I want us to be alone.”

He slowly nodded his head in understanding, a small smile on his face. He led her to his jeep, helped her in, and headed out of the city … into the desert.

Okay, I finished this part about two minutes ago after work. More will be coming soon.

I want to thank all the wonderful feedback and bumps. I truthfully had forgotten about this fic. I had been so busy lately I really had little to no time on my hands.

Sorry for the delay. Hope everyone enjoys.

~Sarah



Chapter 14

“Alex, I’m telling you, I don’t know where she is,” Maria said into the telephone for the sixth time. “If I knew where she was, would I be calling you?”

“Okay, okay. So she went out for a while. She’s only been gone for a couple hours. Why are you so worried? I don’t get it; did something happen? What aren’t you telling me Maria?” He didn’t know what to think. First Maria calls frantic, saying that Liz’s secret was out and she vanished. After much calming and prodding Alex was finally getting coherent answers, however vague they might be.

Maria sighed heavily into the receiver and rubbed her eyes. She had really screwed up. She had hurt her best friend beyond comprehension, something she had sworn she would never do, and then let Liz go without any idea of where she was going, and no way to get a hold of her. This was so not going the way she had planned it, not that she had really planned anything at all. One minute Maria was happy and in love, and the next devastated and frightened. Liz may have special powers but she was still fragile and young and naïve. And who knew how many Kyle Valenti’s there were out there?

“Alex, look. Okay, I screwed up. I kept something from Liz, and Michael sort of …”

“Wait. Michael who?”

“Michael Guerin. You know, from high school. Best friend of Max Evans.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I know him, who doesn’t? So, what about him?”

“Well, he and I have sort of been … ya know?”

There was about five seconds of silence on the other end of the line. “Oh … OH! Guerin?! Ew, gross. What’s wrong with you Maria?”

“What? He’s hot, and really, really good kisser.”

“Okay, okay. Way too much info. What does any of this have to do with Liz?”

‘Here goes nothing,’ Maria thought. “Well, he was over when Liz came home. She told Max … everything.”

“You mean …?”

“Yeah, everything. I guess he didn’t take it very well, cause she came home bawling and ranting about I don’t even know what. She said she told him about her powers and Michael sort of heard. So now Max AND Michael know about Liz. And to top it all off, I never told Liz and Michael and me. God, you should have seen the look on her face. She was devastated Alex.” She sniffled quietly into the phone. “What am I going to do? She’s my best friend. What if something happened to her?”

Alex was finally starting to get the picture. “Look, I’m sure you have nothing to worry about. Liz is Liz. She’ll come around and forgive and forget. You know how she is. I’m sure she’s just getting some air, you know? Cooling off. I’m sure its fine Maria. Really.”

“But she’s been gone for hours. She should have been back by now, don’t you think?” She closed her eyes and sighed as Michael put his arms around her for comfort. Thank God he was here.

“Let’s just wait for a while, okay? A couple more hours at least. She’ll show up.” Alex could only cross his fingers. It was beginning to look like nothing was for sure anymore.

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

“I mean, if you think about it, her reaction to this compared to our reaction when we found out about her? It sounds like she’s taking it pretty well, ya know?” Maria laughed lightly. Leave it to Alex to put a good spin on just about any situation. “Look, do you want me to come over, keep you company?”

“No, that’s okay. Michael’s here. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Well, call me if you hear from her, and I’ll do the same if I see her. Talk to you later?”

“Yeah, bye.”

* * * * * * * *

“So…”

“So.”

“So, don’t you think we should talk? Do-Don’t get me wrong, this is … well great. But, you seemed like you needed to talk … you know, earlier.” Max sucked in a breath as Liz continued her sweet torture on his body.

“No more talking.” She didn’t want to talk; she didn’t want to think. Liz just wanted to be in the moment. In this perfect moment with Max Evans, the man who had told her he loved her. She bent her head and sucked in his ear lobe as her hands circled his chest, creating circles over his now exposed skin. Ever so slowly she inched lower.

Max was stunned. Was this the same quiet, timid, shy Liz Parker? One minute he was holding her in his arms while they sat in the desert, and the next minute she was on top of him, driving him crazy. Not that he was complaining. But it was definitely bizarre.

“Li-Liz … we should um, well we should talk. Oh God,” he let out in painful satisfaction when her hand grazed his straining erection. All thought left his mind as her left hand stroked him through his pants, which were becoming increasingly tight. If he didn’t stop this soon he was going to loose it. But he just couldn’t bring himself to do it; he loved her. And he could only hope that this was her way of proving her love for him. He definitely wasn’t pushing or pressuring her. This was all Liz’s incentive.

That was the reaction she was hoping for. It had startled her at first how this Max and her dream Max responded to her with eerie similarity. And while she hadn’t experienced a lot with dream Max, she was using her knowledge to please this Max. She had told dream Max that they couldn’t be together when they woke up. But now it was looking like she had been wrong. This Max loved her, after he knew everything. She had only imagined how wonderful it could be, and now that it was a reality, her mind almost couldn’t comprehend it.

“Liz,” he croaked out. “You have to stop. I’m gonna loose it.” His eyes pleaded with her to understand.

Their eyes met, and she shook her head slightly. “I want you to Max. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t. I want you to loose it.” He closed his eyes as her words penetrated his fuzzy conscious. The world was spinning around him as she unzipped his pants quickly, and searched out his shaft. The cold fingers that enclosed him forced his eyes open wide. God help him.

She could tell she was having a profound effect on his control, but he was still fighting the inevitable. She would have none of that.

“It’s okay, Max. I’m right here. Let go Max. Just let go.” She used the words he had said to her in her last dream of him. He had been so comforting and so passionate at the same time. Those words had had an intense effect on her, and she could only hope they would do the same to him.

He furrowed his brows. Those words sounded strangely familiar. Like he had said them before. And although they were incredibly arousing, he still couldn’t bring himself to let go.

She sighed slightly, and sped her ministrations, applying more pressure. He needed something more. An idea crept into her mind, and she lowered her mouth next to his ear, nipping and sucking slightly before whispering the words she had been wanting to say out loud for so long.

“I love you.”

Sorry for the hiatus. This is the second part of Chapter 14, and Chapter 15 should be posted sometime next weekend. Hope you guys enjoy!!




Chapter 14B


What did she say? Surely she hadn’t said these words. The words that his heart wanted to hear. The words that kept ringing through his ears over and over, making his heart, among other things, swell with even more love for her than he had before.

“Wha…What?”

“I said I love you Max.” She suddenly had the urge to confirm her words. For so long she had convinced herself that she would have to live her life alone and now, with this sudden blooming relationship, it was beginning to look like maybe she was wrong after all. Their eyes met and she maintained contact as she continued, “I think I always have.”

His reaction to her words was quick and Earth shattering. Colors and beautiful explosions were seen behind his eyelids as the most intense orgasm of his life swept through his body, and he clung to Liz, searching for an anchor. She was only happy to comply.

Tremors racked his body and slowly the clouds and fog cleared and his vision came back into focus. A pair of beautiful brown eyes met his, and he had a sudden, unwavering urge to prove to her how much he loved her.

“Liz, I …” he stammered at a complete loss for words.

Uncertainty clouded her mind, “Was it … was it okay?” She didn’t want to think of the thought of him rejecting her now. She had been a tad brazen in her actions, having been swept up in the moment and feel of Max. Maybe he regretting saying he loved her now that he knew how she felt. Now that he knew the kind of impact he had on her. Maybe that was what he was wanting, and now that he had it, he would leave.

“God Liz, it was …” Mind blowing? Earth shattering? “…perfect.” He slowly pulled her head down to his and kissed her on the forehead. “It was perfect. Amazing.”

He continued to take deep breaths, trying to regain his composure and control, or however much was still there to collect. The feel of Liz in his arms was wreaking havoc on his body.

Max knew this kind of behavior was very a-typical Liz, and he couldn’t help but be curious as to why she had been so … forceful, potent, determined. He leaned his cheek against her head that was lying on his chest. He didn’t even realize he was threading his fingers through her hair.

“Liz, what … um, what’s going on? I mean, as much as I … enjoyed myself,” he said as a hint of red touched his cheeks. “That wasn’t really you. What’s going on? Why the sudden change?”

She lifted her head from his chest and gazed into his amber eyes.

She absently let her right hand stroke his chest as she answered, “Max, my whole life I’ve been isolated. Alone. And for so long I believed that I would always be that way. That I was unlovable and always would be. Never once did I think that someone could love me. Especially you. I guess I just had to prove that I was wrong. To prove that I love you and that I can’t loose you.”

He immediately wanted to object with her words of her being unlovable, and show her just how loveable she was. But knowing his Liz, and her die-hard pride, that would be one argument he wouldn’t win. But her answer did raise some questions inside of him.

“Do you believe that I love you?”

She nodded.

“It’s the first thing that I have completely believed in … since my parents died.” The last part was nothing more than a whisper and her downcast eyes studied his very interesting t-shirt.

He held her close and willed as much love as he could to her. “Do you want to talk about that? Your parents?”

She shrugged and he could tell that even after years, the loss of her parents was still a sore spot for her.

His eyebrows furrowed as he asked, “What did you mean when you said ‘Especially me’? What does that mean?”

Liz smiled a shy smile. “Well, I think it’s pretty obvious that … you know, that I’ve had feelings for you. For a while. You know you’re this amazing person Max, and I guess a part of me will always be that scared little girl back in high school, desperately wanting to be normal so that … just maybe, she could be with the man of her dreams.

“But never in my wildest dreams did I think that that man would love me for who I am.” A tear escaped her eyes and slowly slid down her cheek.

Their lips met and they kissed slow and deep. Their passion for each other was openly displayed then and they couldn't help but bask in the honesty that flowed between them. Neither could believe that this was really happening; they each were finally with their soul mate. For so long Max thought he would never find her. And now he was here in his favor place in the world with the woman he loved. Nothing could be better than this moment.

They broke away slowly and Liz settled her head on his warm, broad chest. Her eyes closed and she breathed in his masculine scent that still held a bit of sexual musk. A small smile was displayed on her face from the memory that flashed across her mind. Nothing was more beautiful or arousing than watching the love of her life climax.

Max’s thoughts drifted, thinking of how wonderful his day had ended and how much he had to be thankful for. Liz had mentioned that now Michael knew the truth of her, which he could only guess had further upset her. So now that included Liz, him, Michael, and … Maria and Alex. Hmmm.

“Liz, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“How long have Maria and Alex known … about you?”





More soon, I promise!

Ya ready?


Okay, here we go. I've accompanied this chapter with lyrics of one of my favorite songs, Now by Jessica Andrews. It is such a beautiful song and, even though I'm not a huge fan of song accomaniment, I couldn't resist. This song really does summarize and illustrate Liz's existance and her emotions from start to finish.

Bear with me; I wasn't too sure where to put what lines, so if it doesn't flow very well I'm sorry.


Enjoy!!




Now
Jessica Andrews

All my life I’ve waited
And I’ve been afraid and
I wondered if I’d find
Someone to share my life

Every day I prayed and
Every night I searched in
Every stranger’s eyes
For some kind of sign

Me and my heart wishing in the dark
Trying to believe in a sky full of stars
I was waiting for you
A million empty days, too much time and space
Every tear I cried, every lonely night
I was waiting for you

Now here you are
And my world is, my world is so beautiful
Now here you are
And my life is, my life is so wonderful
Now

The past seems like a dream
Just a vacancy
How did I exist
Before our first kiss?

Oh I feel so lucky
Because I know you love me
And no one ever has
Like no one ever has

Me and my heart wishing in the dark
Trying to believe in a sky full of stars
I was waiting for you
All those empty days, all the time and space
Every tear I cried, every lonely night
I was waiting for you

Now here you are
And my world is, my world is so beautiful
Now here you are
And my life is, and my life is so wonderful
Now

Now here you are
And my world is, my world is so beautiful
Now here you are
And my life is, and my life is so wonderful
Now





Chapter 15



Liz thought for a moment.

“Um, I guess it’s been a year and a half, no two years. Yeah, winter break of senior year.”

Interesting, Max thought. They really haven’t known that long. He realized how hard it must have been for Liz while she was younger, keeping such a big secret from her closest friends.

He remembered Alex, Maria, and Liz sitting in the cafeteria together. Of course Maria and Alex were always so animated in the conversations they had, arms flailing and roaring laughter heard by anyone within fifty feet of their table. But he also remembered Liz offering half smiles, small laughs, nothing that showed her real personality. She would sit quietly in her chair, listening to her friends, silently suffering an unbearable secret. Thank God she wasn’t alone anymore.

All my life I’ve waited
And I’ve been afraid and
I wondered if I’d find
Someone to share my life

But wait. If Alex and Maria found out senior year, and Liz’s parents died two and a half years ago, that meant…

“Liz?”

“Yeah?”

“Did your parents know?”

She offered a slight nod. “Yeah, when I was five the … powers, they started to show. Yeah, they knew.”

Every day I prayed and
Every night I searched in
Every stranger’s eyes
For some kind of sign

“So that means that …” His voice drifted off, and Liz lifted her head from his chest and focused her eyes on him. “That means that for months, you were alone. Maria and Alex didn’t know, and … you were alone with this secret,” more a statement than anything. By the look on her face, he already knew the answer.

Me and my heart wishing in the dark
Trying to believe in a sky full of stars
I was waiting for you

“Yeah. For about seven months no one knew but me.”

“You’re not alone anymore. You’ll never be alone again,” he vowed, and he meant it with his whole heart.

A smile tugged at her lips as she nodded her understanding. He really wasn’t leaving her. She had wanted to believe it for so long, and it was finally starting to sink in. He really did love her. Her life was finally looking up, for once.

A million empty days, too much time and space
Every tear I cried, every lonely night
I was waiting for you

“Can I ask you something?” he said quietly.

“Of course.”

“How did they find out? Did you tell them?”

“Actually no. They kind of found out, like with you. Um … I had to sort of use my powers to help them, and they …they found out.”

“What do you mean ‘to help them’?”

“Well,” she settled into a comfortable position, her chin resting on her arms, which were folded across his chest. Max gently ran his hands up and down her back in silent encouragement. Needless to say, he was a little curious.

“It was winter break, senior year. Seven months after my parents died.” Her voice was small and quiet, and he knew she was probably telling this story for the first time in her life. He could hear her pain and inwardly willed his love to her, a silent support.

“Maria and Alex and I were on our way up here, to UNM, for a campus tour. We had all decided the first week of ninth grade that no matter what we were going to the same college together. Like a pact. Maria had her mom’s Jetta, and Alex rode with her. But her mom had all this alien stuff in back, boxes and stuff that needed to be dropped off in Albuquerque, so there wasn’t enough room for me. I had to take my car.”

Now here you are
And my world is, my world is so beautiful
Now here you are
And my life is, my life is so wonderful
Now

“Weren’t you afraid to drive? After your parents’ accident and all?”

“Yeah, a little. No, a lot. But I didn’t want to dwell in it. I mean it had been months and I’m sure if I had asked, Alex would have switched with me. But I wanted to be strong. My mom was always saying how strong I was. That I had to be. I had this secret and I had to be strong, for her and dad, but mostly for me.” With a little laugh she said, “She was always giving these inspirational speeches to me. Like she could tell that I was cracking and I needed some extra support. They were treating me like a soldier of God one minute and a porcelain doll the next.”

She took a deep breath and continued. “We were about half way to Albuquerque. The Jetta was ahead of me and I was doing my best to keep it together. I guess I saw the trip as my last battle. You know? If I could make it there and back on my own, in the car, then it was over. The grieving and crying myself to sleep every night could finally stop … because I had finally gotten past their deaths.”

“Liz,” he said quietly. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”

“Its okay. They only people that did know were Maria and Alex, and actually we haven’t talked about it in years.”

“I remember when I heard about your parents. I couldn’t believe it. Nothing like that ever happens in Roswell.”

The past seems like a dream
Just a vacancy
How did I exist
Before our first kiss?

She nodded her head in understanding. Her parents’ death had been big news in the small town of Roswell. The gossip traveled fast. Soon, everyone heard and was reading of ‘the tractor trailer collision that happened on 285 south killing a couple native to Roswell, New Mexico,’ and their seventeen-year-old daughter that tragically left behind with no surviving relatives. “I went to the funeral. I knew I probably shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to be there … for you.”

“I saw you,” she remembered. Her eyes held a slight glazed look as the memory drifted through her mind. “You sat in back. You cried. I remember you were crying.”

Oh I feel so lucky
Because I know you love me
And no one ever has
Like no one ever has

Their eyes met. He quietly said, “Because you were crying. I couldn’t bear it – seeing you in so much pain. I don’t know how you did it, got through everything. Your mom was right; you are strong. I don’t think I could ever get over something like that.”

“Pray that you don’t ever have to.”

He nodded.

They sat in companionable silence for a minute, allowing the new information sink in. Even years ago they had a connection, even though neither were really aware of it. All this time they each felt a link to the other. Amazing how it took something so dramatic to finally bring it to the surface.

Me and my heart wishing in the dark
Trying to believe in a sky full of stars
I was waiting for you

With a heavy sigh, “Anyway, we were half way there and we were coming up on an intersection. The traffic on the crossing street was suppose to yield, but the semi wasn’t stopping …”

“Liz, oh God.”

All those empty days, all the time and space
Every tear I cried, every lonely night
I was waiting for you

“It was all in slow motion. The semi wasn’t stopping and I just knew that Maria didn’t see it coming. The Jetta would have been hit from the left; Maria would have been hit, probably killed. Alex would have been the same. I couldn’t let it happen. I couldn’t loose them too. I just couldn’t, Max.” Tears slid down her cheeks and she sobbed, “I couldn’t. I needed then too much. I lost my parents; that was so hard. I couldn’t let them die.”

He sat up and held her to his chest. She silently cried into his shirt and clutched to him for dear life. The picture was finally becoming clear. She saved them from a life-threatening accident. She had put herself on the line, selflessly, to save the lives of her friends.

And now she was allowing some of her grief out. Sharing another part of her tightly concealed world with him, and once again he was humbled by the honor of knowing Liz Parker.

Now here you are
And my world is, my world is so beautiful
Now here you are
And my life is, and my life is so wonderful
Now

Her words were muffled from speaking into his shirt but she continued despite a hiccup and sniffle here and there. “I tried to stop the semi, but it was too heavy and moving too fast. The Jetta would have been the same way. I only had a few second, so I called to Maria. I told to her to look, that she had to stop, or she would die.

“I knew she heard me ‘cause I saw her hands stop in mid air. She must have been telling Alex some story. You know how she is. I kept yelling over and over for her to stop. To look and stop, or swerve or something. I saw her look to her left, and she saw it. She swerved the Jetta. It was so close. Another second and it would have been too late. The driver of the semi didn’t even stop – he never saw us coming.”

“Jesus.”

“She was so shaken up. She stumbled out of the Jetta, her whole body was shaking from it. She could hardly walk. Alex wasn’t doing much of anything, just sitting in his seat. They must have been in shock. I got out and went to them, asking if they were okay. And that’s when Maria grabbed me and started crying. Asking me how I did that. How did I tell her about the truck? How did she hear me? I couldn’t lie to her. I owed them the truth. Besides, it felt so good to tell them, to not have any more secrets.”

Now here you are
And my world is, my world is so beautiful
Now here you are
And my life is, and my life is so wonderful
Now

“How’d they take it?” Silently, he prayed that they had taken it well. Rejection at that moment would have probably done her in.

“They were pretty …”

“Shell-shocked?”

She laughed. “Yeah. They just kind of sat there wide-eyed, listening. Neither of them really said anything until days later. After it sank in, the gates opened and they asked every question imaginable. Alex tried to reason it out; he even went on the Internet doing research to see what might have caused my ‘gifts,’ ” she said, illustrating quotation marks with her fingers. “He likes to call them gifts. They both do, probably so that I’ll stop thinking it’s a curse or something.

“I can’t even remember all the questions they asked; I demonstrated some things. I took a bite of a sandwich with no hands. I started the car without a key. They asked about my dreams, and if it hurt when I did anything. They even asked if I was an alien.” They both shared a laugh at this.

“An alien?” he asked.

“Yeah. Can you imagine, an alien living in Roswell.”

I'm going to apologize early for this being so short. But I wanted to leave everyone on a great cliff hanger.

Please, do not throw anything at your monitor.

Hope you enjoy. Be sure to read the Prologue of my new fic Providence, I'll be posting it on Friday. I'm a little nervous about it, so be kind with feedback.

Enjoy:




Chapter 16

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she said, looking at him as he drove back into town. “I’m great.”

They’re eyes met in contentment. This had to be heaven, being with the man you loved more than life itself. Alone, in love, and most importantly, with no secrets. A clean slate, a new beginning. Liz was determined to make the most of it.

He took her hand in his after shifting. The wind whipped through her hair and she lifted her eyes to the stars above them. The conversation they had had before heading back into town brought memories flooding back. Aliens – Maria had actually asked her if she was an alien. A smile graced her lips as she remembered the very serious look Maria had given when the words left her mouth, as if that answered all their questions.

An alien living in Roswell. Yeah, right.

Maria was eccentric; yes, and that statement had almost convince Liz that her best friend was also crazy. But she couldn’t completely discount it. It would offer an easy answer to her abilities.

Of course she wasn’t an alien. She had given up a long time ago on any explanation. But with all the soul-bearing conversations and earth-shattering battles that were fought over the years, and certainly more recently, Liz couldn’t help but think that maybe now she should search for more answers. Hell, any answers would be nice.

Max looked over at his new girlfriend feeling completely content for the first time in his life. His girlfriend. His girlfriend. Liz was his girlfriend. They had confirmed the new status before leaving the desert, and it still was hard to believe. All the years of wanting each other, and now they were finally content, finding solace in each other’s presence, in each other’s arms.

“What are you thinking?” he asked after she grew silent.

“They’re beautiful aren’t they? The stars, I mean.”

“Yeah they are. They’re really beautiful out here, away from the city. They’re so clear.”

“Yeah.” She continued to look at them, and her brows furrowed in thought. Max didn’t miss the change.

“What? What is it?”

“I don’t have any baby pictures.”

“O – kay.”

She thought. She couldn’t remember seeing any pictures of her mother pregnant, or her in the hospital after delivery. Nothing. Something wasn’t right.

“Drive to Roswell.”

“What?” he asked.

“Don’t stop either. Drive straight through to Roswell.”

“Liz, you can’t be serious. It’s after midnight. Why would you want to go home?”

“I need to find something. Just do it, please?” she asked. Her scientific mind was jumping into hyper drive. She needed to do this, and she needed Max with her. Old demons long hidden were starting to show themselves. Years of burying and forgetting and discounting, and now – she wanted, no needed, to know what the hell her parents lied to her about.

He nodded, unsure why her mood shifted so quickly. “I’ll need to fill up first.”

She nodded, “Okay.” He pulled off the desert highway at the first station they passed, and as he filled the gas tank, she asked, “Can I use your cell phone? I need to call Maria.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hello?” a groggy voice asked, somewhat irritated by the bothersome call at the extremely early hour.

“Maria, its Liz.”

“Lizzie, oh God!! Are you all right? I was so worried. I’m so sorry for everything. I never meant to lie or mislead you. You know that right? I mean, I wanted to tell you so much about Michael, but with that Kyle asshole and Max with you all the time, and … you know everything was happening so fast …”

“Maria, shut up. And listen.”

“Okay. Sorry.”

Liz sighed. Her best friend in the world was indeed the best friend in the world, but a little … extreme at times.

“I need you to meet me somewhere, okay?”

“Absolutely. When and where. I’m there.”

“Roswell, tomorrow morning.”

Silence.

“Liz, you do know Roswell is like hours away, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And … I mean do you have any particular reason for wanting to go home a week before Thanksgiving break, or are you just trying to contribute to student delinquency?”

“Maria, will you be there or not?” Liz could see Max was inside paying already, they would be on the road soon, and she needed to get off the phone. Arguing was not in the picture. She still wasn’t completely happy with Maria, but she needed her there with her while they went down memory lane. So many demons…

“Of course I’ll be there. I was just curious –”

“Call Alex. Tell him to come too. Meet me at the storage unit, okay?”

“You got it.” She couldn’t help but ask, “Are you okay Liz? You seem … I don’t know, almost scared.”

“I am scared. That’s why I need you okay?” Her voice had gotten small, fragile; it slightly quivered with the new emotions coursing through her veins.

Wanting to lighten the mood, “Hey, what are best friends for, right? … No, Michael you cannot talk to Max! This is important. Sorry Liz, he …”

“He should come. He’s involved now. I mean if he wants to, if you want him to, he can come. Max’ll be there so…”
“Really?” Did those words really come from Liz? Liz wanted to share with Michael? She didn’t mind of Michael was there while she did whatever it was she wanted to do? Michael, her new boyfriend, could come? Maria was in disbelief that her usually closed-off, shy friend was being so open about – something.

“Yeah,” Liz answered; it was an acceptance of Maria’s apology. She knew that Maria never meant to hurt her. And Liz could never stay mad at her best friend for long.

Allowing Michael to tag along was her way of saying, ‘you’re forgiven,’ even though neither had ever had to say those words. When it came to them, the most important things never had to be said, they just knew. Sort of like when they say, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” She loved Maria like a sister, so it definitely applied.

“Okay, I’ll tell him. Thank you Liz. I love you, you know that right?”

She smiled into the cell phone. “Yeah, I do. Ditto.”

They both laughed softly.

“See you in the morning with Alex.”

“Yeah, bye.”




~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


More feedback, more updates. Thanks for reading!

Happy Wednesday to everyone.

FYI, I wanted to dedicate a chapter to Max; its been a while since I gave some attention to his character.

There will probably be three or four parts to Chapter 17, and I'll try to post them as soon as they are finished. I won't wait for Wednesday to come before I post. After Chapter 17, I'll start posting every new Chapter on Wedneseday nights.

Hope everyone enjoys. Feedack is always welcome too!


frenchkiss70 wrote:

I'm glad you've updated.

What did Liz figure out? It's about her origins? Did her parents hide something from her?

I can't wait for more

You'll find out soon enough, I promise!


My new fic Providence has also been posted in the AU forum. The Prologue as been posted, and Part 1 will be up on Friday. The link is below.


http://www.roswellfanatics.net/viewtopic.php?t=3560



Thanks for reading!




Chapter 17

Max POV
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Liz slept most of the way on their trip to Roswell. Max stole glances at her every few minutes making sure she slept soundly.

He worried about her. She had been so happy when they left the desert, and then she had made a complete 180, suddenly anxious and almost fearful. Of what he wasn’t sure, but he was determined to find out.

Max realized how quickly they had formed a connection. He felt he knew exactly what she was feeling without her even saying, and he felt that she knew the same about him. He had never felt that about anyone in his life. And a small smile graced his lips at the realization that this feeling was real.

He was in love with Liz Parker, and it wasn’t a dream. It was real.

And even better, she was in love with him too.

She had said she had always loved him, and the effect on him was … extreme. All his life he had always felt like he could only trust on a very limited number of people. His parents, his younger sister Isabel, and his best friend Michael. That was it. And even with this elite group of individuals, he still kept secrets from them.

No one in his life knew everything about him. And for the longest time, he liked it that way.

But now, seeing his dream girl sleeping soundly next to him in his jeep as they made a red-eye drive to their hometown, he had the sudden urge to tell her everything. He wanted Liz to know everything about him. His dreams, his fears, and his passions.

And not only that, he wanted to know everything about her.

So far in their tentative, new relationship, they still hadn’t had a lot of time for deep, soul-bearing discussion. But he was mentally planning on a time for one. He wanted to have one of those talks that went on for hours, all through the night.

His eyes burned with fatigue, and he knew he wouldn’t make the rest of the drive to Roswell without a few hours sleep. He glanced at the clock and realized he had been up for over 24 hours. He contemplated for a few brief seconds on waking Liz and having her drive.

But, no. He couldn’t wake her.

He pulled off the deserted highway, and stopped at the first motel he passed. It wasn’t much. The sign read The Shamrock Inn; with four green alien heads making the four leafs of a four-leaf clover.

He smirked at the imagery, and wondered if the owner had been on some powerful narcotic when he thought that up. ‘Probably a stoner from the 60s,’ he thought.

The jeep idled in the parking lot as he sifted through his wallet to make sure he had enough cash. A handwritten, cardboard sign in the window said ‘$30 A Night Rooms,’ and that price would fit perfectly with his ‘budget.’

If he had known they were making a road trip tonight, he would have stopped by an ATM before hand. He was beginning to realize that few things with Liz Parker were ordinary, planned, or predictable.

And he liked the impulsiveness. Living, and even loving, minute-to-minute was new to him. And exciting. He just hoped that their love wouldn’t die in one of those said minutes.

The parking lot was gravel ridden under his feet, and he kicked up dust with each step. The lone light above the building gave a murky glow to the lot, and he hoped the inside was more presentable.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

The out-of-tune bell rang as he entered the office of the motel, and right away he wished he had enough money for a nicer place. The carpet was stained in certain places. The air was musky. The employee behind the counter needed a shower; ‘Butch’s’ BO was nauseating. But desperate times called for desperate measures. He made another mental note to make this up to Liz.

‘Maybe a quiet weekend away to Santa Fe, or Vegas, or Denver, or …’ he thought. ‘It would take a few months top save up, but she was worth it. Maybe for Valentines Day. I could surprise her with the trip. A candlelit dinner, soft music in the background. I could surprise her with a gift of some lingerie. Definitely red. And then …’

The thought of a romantic weekend away with Liz did incredible things to his body, and as he made his way to the counter, he took a few calming breathes. He needed to keep control of himself. This definitely wasn’t the time.

“Hey mis’er. Wha’ can I do ya fer?”

“Um,” Max started, trying to sift through the man’s awful grammar and southern accent. “I need a room.”

“Smokin’ or non?” the pudgy man asked, letting a stream of smoke leave his nostrils. His cigar clung to his bottom lip, and danced up and down with each word.

“Non-smoking.”

The man nodded, and looked through his book, finding a room. “Jus’ you tonight?”

“Um, no. There’ll be one more person.”

The clerk nodded, giving Max a form to fill out, and then turned to fetch a key hanging on the wall behind him.

Max filled the form out quickly, wanted to get back to Liz and the hell away from the ‘Butch’ as soon as possible. He retrieved his wallet from his back pocket, and started to get the $30 that he anticipated the room would cost.

“I’ll need yer driver license.”

Max nodded, handing the license to ‘Butch,’ who made a copy and filled certain parts of the form out.

“Tha’ll be 45 dolla’s.”

Max’s brows furrowed in confusion. “But um, the sign said $30 per room.”

“Tha’s fer one person only. Ya got two people in yer room fer tha night, yeah?”

Max nodded slowly, “Yeah.” Crap. He didn’t have enough cash. He thought about going outside and asking Liz for the extra $15, but he didn’t want to wake her. She needed her sleep. Unconsciously, his eyes drifted to the window, looked at Liz’s sleeping figure in the jeep. She still hadn’t woken. He definitely didn’t want her sleeping in the jeep all night, and he couldn’t make the rest of the drive to Roswell …

‘Butch’s’ eyes followed Max’s, and a knowing smile graced his wrinkled, ugly face.

“Yer lady frien’s with ya, huh?”

Max nodded slightly, “Yeah. We just need a room for the night.” He turned, preparing to bargain with the clerk, hopefully getting the price reduced, when he realized what ‘Butch’ was insinuating. “Well, I mean, we’re on our way to Roswell. Driving straight through and …”

“Hey, buddy. I don’ ask questions. I jus’ take the money. Tell ya what; I’ll give ya the single price. $30 dolla’s.”

He debated on taking his offer. It would definitely help to take the cheaper price. And no one would know. Max had no intention of anything … physical, happening tonight with Liz. Just sleep.

‘Just sleep,’ he told himself. ‘That’s it. Nothing more.’ Great, now he had certain objectives gracing his mind and imagination. That was all he needed right now. He took another deep breathe, and the cigar smoke and musky air nearly made him gag, and he quickly agreed to ‘Butch’s’ offer. He needed some fresh air, fast.

He looked down at the three ten-dollar bills in his hand, and then at the face smirking at him.

Max quickly paid, took the room key, and tried not to see the grin on ‘Butch’s’ face. The bell rang again as he exited and the clean, desert air filled his lungs.

Liz was still sleeping when he entered the jeep, and as he drove around the lot to room 21, he realized he had two options. Either wake her and let her walk into the room, or let her sleep and carry her in.

He liked option two best.

As quietly as possible, he killed the engine and got out of the jeep and shut the door. He stood outside her door for a few moments just watching her sleep. She looked so angelic, so peaceful, and he couldn’t help the dopey grin on his face.

She was his girlfriend. Would wonders never cease?

He unlatched the passenger door, pulled it open, and undid her seatbelt. She was reclined back, and he took a minute to look at her, look after her.

He didn’t want to jostle or wake her, so he decided to open their door first to make matters easier.

The key needed some persuading, but after the second try the door opened, and he entered quickly to turn down the blanket and sheets. Max returned to the jeep to find her still resting soundly, and as carefully as possible, lifted her from her seat. Instinctively her head found the crook of his neck, and she curled into his arms.

That dopey grin just wouldn’t leave.

She was light as a feather and carrying her was much easier than he had though. ‘Mental note to have Liz in my arms much more in the future,’ he thought. She made certain inaudible sounds as she was situated in the bed. A sigh here, a ‘hmmm’ there, was that a moan?!

Oh God.

He removed her jacket, shoes, and cardigan, leaving her in her jeans and camisole.

Should he undress her further? The option was very tempting, but if he wanted to be a gentleman, the more clothes that stayed on the better. All the better if she never knew the struggle it was for him.

He undressed quickly, entering his side of the bed in his boxers and t-shirt. He flicked the nightstand light off, and turned on his left side to watch her some more.

He found he loved doing this, watching Liz. Watching Liz sleep. Or talk, or smile, or laugh, or take notes, or moan his name, or …

No, no, no.

He brushed her hair away from her face softly, and another soft noise escaped her throat. She instinctively leaned into his palm that rested on her cheek.

Nope. That damn grin was permanently painted on forever.

“Goodnight Liz,” he said softly. The pad of his thumb brushed over her soft lips, and he leaned in to give her a chaste, goodnight kiss.

He closed his eyes to let the feeling linger. He wanted so much more with her. They were in bed together, and he couldn’t help his thoughts wander to all the possibilities. He wanted to hear her moan his name, to give her the pleasure that she had willingly and very unexpectedly given him tonight. He wanted to make love to her so much.

But not tonight.

He would just let her sleep, and then he would get up really early and take a cold shower.

A very cold shower.

A very long, very cold shower.

Second part of Chapter 17, enjoy!





Chapter 17B

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sunbeams began to peak through the heavy tan drapes in the motel room the next morning. It was early, and neither was awake yet, both living in their happy dreams of their respective partner.

Unknowingly during the night, they had both sought out the warmth of the other, ending with Liz in Max’s arms, her head resting lightly on his chest with nearly half her body on top of his. Their limbs were tangled together. His arms were embracing her with his cheek resting on the top of her head.

She sighed in her sleep and he instinctively tightened his loving grip on her, ensuring that she was still there and that she wasn’t leaving.

Their faces were just inches apart; for the time being both were oblivious to their close proximity. But the morning sun would not relent, and eventually they began to stir.

Liz didn’t want to wake up, but the sun was striking her in the face through the drapes, and had caused a callous rouse from slumber. She had found the most comfortable pillow last night and didn’t want to wake up. Ever.

She squinted her eyes and tried to bury her head in her pillow. Its scent was intoxicating and she breathed deeply already fully enjoying a lazy morning. Her arms came around to hug her pillow closer.

And then her pillow moved.

Clarity took hold quickly, and she lifted herself to her right elbow and realized that her pillow was a sleeping Max. At least it was a sleeping Max, because now Max was very much awake. Looking right at her. And looking incredibly sexy with his tousled hair and drowsy eyes. She was sure she looked much the same. At least the sleepy part.

Max brought his right hand up to rub the sleep from his eyes, his left hand rubbing her back lovingly. He could definitely get used to waking up with her in his arms. He had gotten the best sleep last night, knowing that they were together, and him realizing that he couldn’t live without her. Of that he was certain. He was hooked.

He gave her a look that was intended to be completely innocent.

It was, he swears.

But it only succeeded in increasing a frustrating desire and passion in both of them.

“Morning,” she said quietly, not sure how to react to them in bed together. This was very new to her and a little scary. Most of the time she was completely self-conscious in her inexperience. Not just physically. She had never been in a relationship before, and many times she found herself wondering what to say or do or how to respond.

Like right now … what do you say to your boyfriend after waking up in bed together? Hell if she knew.

“Morning. Did you sleep well?” His left hand never stopped its loving caress, moving from her back, to her arm that was propping her above him, to her shoulder, brushing her hair out of her face …

It was definitely making it hard to speak coherently. For both of them.

She looked like an angel hovering over him, her eyes glittering in the morning sun, her hair a muss around her face. Her blushing cheeks, pink lips …

“Um ... yeah, very well,” she said with a nervous laugh. They both glanced at their position, or rather her position on top of him, and he grinned back at her.

“Good. I’m willing to be a pillow any night,” he joked.

Their eyes held for several moments and they unconsciously leaned forward. Their lips touched briefly, a feathering of soft skin. She sighed, keeping her eyes closed with a smile on her face. His right hand came to frame her face and their lips met again with passion. He loved her with his mouth, taking small samples of her lips and its treasures; remnants of her lip-gloss remained and the strawberry flavor made him heady.

She leaned into him and he willingly took her weight, surrounding her with his arms. Her hair draped their faces like a chocolate curtain and for a few moments they were in paradise.

She caught his lower lip in her teeth and teasingly tugged, pulling back away from him. He automatically went to chase after her sweet lips, but was only met with a sexy grin and her hand stopped his pursuit.

His eyebrows furrowed and he frowned in confusion.

“Morning breath.”

“Oh,” he said. Yeah, bad breath is not an attractive trait in the morning. His hands resumed their caress instead, not quite ready to leave the comfortable cocoon they had built in the queen size bed.

“Max, where are we?”

“In bed,” he said matter of factly.

She giggled. “Yes, I know. Where as in geographically. Roswell?”

“No, Ramon. We’re still about two hours away. I’m sorry; I just couldn’t make the drive. I was exhausted.”

“No, that’s okay. Maria and Alex probably won’t be here until late this morning anyway.” She was silent for a moment, and her fingers danced across his t-shirt covered chest. “Thank you for doing this. I know it doesn’t make any sense right now, but …”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Liz. I’m more than happy to do this for you. With you.”

“Thank you.”

They stared nervously at each other for a few moments, Liz not sure what to do and Max not sure of what she’d do. Did he overstep their relationship? Was she angry with him? Should he apologize?

“Max, when’s checkout time?”

The question caught him off guard at first, and he stumbled over his words, “Um … e-eleven, I think.”

She nodded, glancing at the bedside clock that emitted bold, red numbers – 7:28.

“We have a few hours.” He nodded in agreement. “What do you suggest we do with our free time?”

Her meaning eluded him for a brief moment, and then his eyes sparkled with her teasing. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Three pounds on the door. “Michael, come on!”

No response.

Maria kicks the gravel on the ground below her feet in frustration. They had stopped at the run down gas station several minutes ago to gas up, and there was only a unisex restroom. Michael had been in the bathroom for what seemed like an eternity, and she really, really had to pee. And he knew this. And he wasn’t hurrying.

Bastard.

She paced along the door of the outside entrance of the small room, her frustration growing in leaps and bounds.

“Michael!” she whined. “I really, really have to go. Come on, there’s only one bathroom in the whole fucking gas station, and we’re already late, and if you would just hurry we can get the hell out of here …”

“I am. Take a chill pill Mare. Roswell’s not going anywhere.”

She rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see through the restroom door.

Unheard by her, Michael muttered under his breath, “Damn, can’t a guy piss in peace?”

Alex came up from Maria’s right chewing on a candy bar, noticing her frustrated expression and the tapping of her right foot. This can’t be good, he thought.

“Damn Maria, you kiss you’re mother with that mouth?”

“No, I kiss Michael.”

“Point taken. Where is Michael?”

“Pissing. He’s been in there for like five minutes.” Raising her voice to yell at Michael, “What’dya do, fall in?”

“You know, some things can’t be rushed,” Alex said with a shake of his head. “Don’t pressure him, or it’ll just go away, and then we’ll never get out of here.”

Maria turned her head, giving Alex a glare telling him she wasn’t appreciating his attempt at comedy. “You’re maturity level astounds me.”

“Yeah, you’re just jealous.” He gave her a classic Whitman grin and she rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide the grin on her face.

There was a moment of silence between them, save for Alex’s chewing of his Snickers and Maria’s tapping on the gravel.

“Mare.”

“Yeah.”

“How serious is this thing with Michael?”

Her foot halted, and she spun to face him. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Liz invited him to tag along with us. He’s always at your place. And he’s not daunted or completely turned off by your insistent badgering. I’m just curious, for my own sake, how serious this relationship is. Is it even a relationship?”

“Yeah. I mean,” she turned away from the bathroom door and walked a few paces away for the candid conversation with her second best friend. “Michael’s great. I thought we were just having fun at first. You know? But now … I don’t know, I guess it’s more.”

“More as in … what?” Suddenly surprised, “Have you slept with him already?!”

“What, no! Jesus we’ve only been together for, like a week. I mean, sure there have been plenty of chances for me to steal his innocence,” she said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. “But, I’m not some blond hussy, named Tess, with big faux breasts, that has to put out to get a guy, okay? I’ve made it perfectly clear that Michael is not getting into my pants until mine are the only pair he’s wearing.”

She turned her head to the still-closed bathroom door and yelled, “And if he would get out of the God damned bathroom he might get relatively close tonight!”

“Jesus Deluca, keep it down. I’m done.”

Maria raced to the bathroom door, whizzing by Michael and closing the door in his face before he could utter another word.

He shook his head as he walked to Maria’s Jetta, with Alex in tow.

“What was she bitching about now?”

Alex gave him a look. “What do you mean?”

He gave Alex a look back. “You know what I mean. You’re her best friend, right? We both know that she’s always bitching about something.”

Alex gave a goodhearted laugh. “You know, you guys are perfect for each other. You’re the first guy that she’s dated that can actually keep up with her. I’ve known her for … like forever, and it still gets to be too much for me. I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

They leaned against the red car, as they waited for their female companion to exit the bathroom. “Yeah, I know.” He smiled a secret smile, remembering last night’s activities.

“She does grow on you though.”

“Yeah, like fungus.” They both shared a laugh.

A few moments of silence passed between them, until a voice yelled through the open window of the run down restroom.

“God damnit Michael, you used all the toilet paper!”

Here is the final part of Chapter 17. I hope everyone enjoys it. Let me know what you think of Michael and Maria. I have to admit, its really fun to write their bickering!

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful feedback. For a while I was beginning to think everyone had forgotten about this fic! Thank you to all the loyal readers. I really do appreciate it!!




Chapter 17C

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Less than an hour had passed since they had left the gas station. The Jetta sped down 285 South and despite the chilly time of year, the heat wave had caused them to roll all the windows down. The warm air hit the faces of the three passengers as they all stared in silence out the windows. Michael drove, Alex the passenger, and Maria lounged in the back seat. There had been a silent agreement to make her as happy as possible. The two guys of the trio had more to worry about than a pissed off Maria on top of it.

She flipped through her InStyle magazine, taking note of the new trends in fashion and music, attempting to keep her mind off of other worrisome topics. Liz had unknowingly scared her the previous night. She had been vague and distant, and even though Maria was quick to agree, that didn’t mean she had a ton of questions waiting for her best friend in their hometown. The sooner they got there the better.

Alex propped his feet on the dash in front of him leaning back in his seat. They still had a ways to go and, for him, they couldn’t get to Roswell soon enough. He hated car trips, ever since senior year of high school. Yeah, Liz had saved his and Maria’s life. But that didn’t negate the fact that they had almost died that day – in a car. Now, any automobile made him nervous. The phrase ‘arrive alive’ was never a distant thought for him. The fact that Michael was driving didn’t really help matter either.

He had thought that Alex would be a drag, but Michael quickly realized that the guy sitting next to him in the cramped Jetta wasn’t all bad. He had a sense of humor, and he knew how to make fun of Maria. Michael had to admit, the guy was pretty cool. At least in his book.

Maria sighed heavily in the back seat, sitting up to look out the windshield through the two front seats. The desert passed by them in a golden haze and the lack of music or conversation was wreaking havoc on her already curbing resolve. She knew she should have gotten the radio fixed with her last paycheck. “Somebody say something. I can’t take it anymore.”

“Take what?” Michael asked.

“The silence.”

“Maybe we don’t want to talk. Did you think of that?” Alex asked, with a small grin on his face.

Michael gave her a look through the rearview mirror. “What do you want to talk about anyway?”

“Anything,” she said exasperatedly. “When people converse with one another, often times they talk about things they have in common.” The sarcasm dripped from her words. Sometimes guys were so dense.

“We don’t have anything in common,” came Michael’s reply.

She quickly slapped him upside the head. “That’s not what you were saying last night.”

“Okay, okay. Too much information.” Alex cringed in his seat. The last thing he needed to hear was Maria’s sex life.

Maria continued, seemingly not hearing Alex’s request. “Are you always like this - completely offensive? There’s only one extreme with you. You’re either pissing someone off … or you’re dead.”

“Dead? Nice image, thanks Mare. I’ll keep that in mind next time you jump me.” Alex groans, feeling very uncomfortable within the conversation.

“Jump you?! You are such an arrogant asshole. I did not jump you. You were the one that came over last night with a couple condoms in your back pocket.”

“Hey, a respectable guy follows the rules – always be prepared.”

“What, so you’re a boy scout now? Yeah right. You’re too volatile.”

Michael thought for a moment. “That’s good for sex, right?”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Alex, don’t pay any attention to my boyfriend. He was dropped at birth.”

“Believe me, I completely tuned out right around you jumping Michael and his condoms. That image is just disturbing, and with me not getting any right now, my mind is a fertile ground of imagery.”

Eager to get the conversation away from him, Michael asked, “So you need to get some, huh? Have any one in mind?”

“Nah. I dated a girl named Lana a couple of months ago, but nothing serious.”

Michael chuckled lightly. “Is that a round-about way of saying you’re horny as hell?”

“Yep, pretty much.”

“Poor Alex,” Maria said as she tapped his head lightly in mock sympathy. “Maybe we should set you up. Give mini-Alex a work out.”

“No, no, no,” he said quickly. Alex turned in his seat to face Maria with a horror-ridden expression on his face. “First of all … I do NOT want you thinking about mini-Alex, or the ‘Little General’ as I prefer to call him, in my presence. Secondly, I do not need to be set up like some loser. Blind dates are not my idea of a good time – especially if they’re with any of your friends,” he said as he gave a pointed gesture towards Maria. “And lastly, would you please – please buckle up.”

She reached for her seat belt while saying, “Blind dates are not for losers. They are a legitimate way of meeting new and interesting people. You don’t get out enough, Alex. You stay in your dorm room, sitting in front of your computer, hacking into only God knows what web site, breaking who knows how many laws …” She trails off, not really aiming her words at a certain audience.

“You know how to hack into web sites?” Michael asked, genuinely interested.

Alex nodded.

“Isn’t that like, illegal?” he asked in disbelief. Michael was having a hard time convincing himself that the guy sitting next to him was a fugitive from the law … or something.

“No, not illegal. My dad works for this computer company; he travels a lot doing sales. He got me this hacking program for Christmas last year. In theory it’s completely ethical, but it definitely had a lot of … immoral possibilities,” he said with a smile. “Its pretty hi-tech, too. It records keystrokes and Internet usage activities, I can get access to just about any website and retrieve their data, schedules, passwords. It has encryption tools, Trojan Horse wrappers, BIOS crackers, port scanners …”

A beat of silence passed through the car as Maria and Michael tried to decipher his meaning.

“English. Alex, speak English.” Alex glanced over at Michael and Maria, who both had a confused look on their face. Oh brother. Have either one of these characters in your presence and your IQ level drops ten points.

Be in close proximity with both of them, and you’ve got a major problem.

“Never mind,” he muttered, too tired to explain himself.

“So … could you, like, hack into a credit card companies mainframe and decrease my balance? Cause that would actually be really helpful.” Maria couldn’t resist.

“No, that would be illegal.”

Maria and Michael answered in chorus, “Bummer.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The clock on the nightstand now red 9:42, but the two occupants of the queen size bed were completely oblivious to anything but the moment. Time had absolutely no meaning.

At some point during their heavy make out session, Max had situated himself on top of Liz, and her heavy, winter-like clothes had been discarded, along with his t-shirt. He knew he couldn’t let things get too out of hand here; a run down motel room wasn’t exactly conducive to love making or anything seriously physical. But she was so tempting, and willing, and her moans of pleasure weren’t exactly discouraging him in any way …

“Oh Max,” she sighed heavily. His lips were wreaking havoc on her pliant body. Her throat, her shoulders, her ears. All the pleasure points were loved thoroughly, and the ache growing inside her was proving difficult to sate. She brought her hands up to run her slender fingers through his hair, urging him lower.

They had gained some ground in the last two hours, discovered certain body parts that had previously been uncharted. Her tank top had ridden up to sit above her breasts, but he was careful to keep his mouth north of the border. If he dipped further south, it would be all too tempted to never stop. At least not until he reached that nirvana at the apex of her thighs …

His thumb stroked her stiffened nipple, and she instinctively arched upward, begging for more. Her right leg came to wrap around him, confining his weight to lie on her. She didn’t want him going anywhere. But her frustration grew, and she knew she needed more. His right thigh settled between her legs, and she found his weight to be a wonderful load to bear.

Not wanting to seem too forward, but knowing that he was following her lead, she gently nudged his head lower. She wanted to feel his lips on her, and Liz could only pray that he understood her silent request.

He did.

Despite the warnings he had given himself, he nudged the cloth with his nose, inching it further up and away from his target. Her left nipple rested hard and ready for his mouth, and he gently sucked on the swell of her breast wanting to make the new experience last. Max wanted this to be an erotic memory for her; one that he hoped would help erase the night that Kyle attacked her. He had been careful not to overstep or push her.

His lips captured her puffy, brown nipple, and her fingers tightened painfully in his hair. The ache that rested low in her stomach had just ignited sharply, and she could only whimper in response. She was feeling things she had never felt before, and least not in the flesh.

He sucked slowly, lovingly, passionately. She had no idea she was this sensitive, and Max had the flicker of memory – almost as if he remembered her being this sensitive. Like he was expecting it. But that couldn’t be, they had never gotten this far. He had never even seen her breasts until this morning. Why did it seem like he knew just how to touch her, please her?

She sighed in contentment. This was what she was needing, what she was craving – Max and his love. They had shared their hearts, their minds, and now they were sharing their bodies. Ever since their declaration of love, she had been steadily learning that very soon she would be ready to make love to Max Evans.

At first it was terrifying, that she would open herself up that fully to someone. And then the knowledge had made her giddy and serenely happy. But it was times like these where the knowledge made her ache. Made her want more, made her … wet.

‘Oh God,’ Max thought. His right thigh had just come into direct contact to her heat that she was erotically rubbing against him. She was very, very wet, and ready for him. He tore his mouth away from her breast, gasping for air and trying frantically to clear his muddled conscious. He needed to end this quickly, before they went to far.

“Liz,” he said raggedly. “We need to stop.”

Her eyes opened and began to clear from her own sexually fog, and his words began to set in. He wanted to stop. He didn’t want her anymore. She wasn’t enough. Tears formed in her eyes, when she realized she never would be.

Max Evans was too good for her. She had known it was only a matter of time before he realized it too. Liz had just hoped that it wouldn’t have been so soon. While they were in bed together, with her thinking of all the ways she could return the favor.

She sobbed quietly, trying desperately not to allow him to see her heartbroken expression. She quietly said, “Okay.” But her emotion was clear in her voice and Max’s head shot up to look into her eyes, which to his dismay were filled with tears.




TBC ... update this Wednesday. Hope you enjoyed!

Happy Wednesday to everyone. Hope you enjoy the new part. FYI, all new parts will be posted on Wednesdays from now on. Thanks for reading!!




Chapter 18

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So Michael, what’s your major?”

“Undeclared.”

Alex gave a very unsurprised look, and continued his questioning. “And what are you planning on doing with that?”

“Figuring out what I want to do. What’s your major?” he asked, very eager to get attention away from him.

“Computer Science, and before you ask, I plan on writing new software that fights against hackers.”

“But you’re a hacker.”

“Exactly. I know how to get in, which gives me an edge on keeping people like me out. Its genius.”

“Yeah, you’re a real Einstein.”

“He is actually,” Maria said. “Alex got a 1450 on his SATs.”

Michael gave an alarmed, disbelieving look. “You got a 1450?”

Alex nodded, somewhat embarrassed. He never liked to brag. He was smart, big deal. It did nothing for him, but leave him lonely.

“What did you get Michael?”

He gave Maria a disapproving over his shoulder as he drove. “That’s classified,” came his low response.

“Uh huh. You know I remember you in high school. You weren’t much of a book worm.” She had a small smile on her face. He was slowly going to pay for the bathroom scene earlier. Bastard.

“Yeah, well. That was high school. College tends to change you.”

“Oh, I know! Do you guys remember Pam Troy?” When the guys all nodded she continued. “I heard from a very reliable source, that when she graduated high school, she moved to New York to be an actress.” She made a condescending sound in disapproval. “She never had any talent, I don’t know what she was thinking. Anyway, I heard that after one month, she was begging her parents for money. And to her surprise, they refused – told her to get a job. She ended up moving back and rumor has it she works at some fast food joint.”

“What do you mean, like Jack In The Box?” Alex asked, turning in his seat with a grin on his face. He never liked that bitch.

“Yeah, can you imagine? Pam Troy, the pre-madonna of Roswell High, working fast food. I couldn’t stand her in high school. She was always bragging about her new car or her new clothes, or the trust fund her parents had for her. Uhg, I hated homeroom. She sat right in front of me and that perfume she wore made me gag.”

“She was always flirting with Mr Seligman to get out of assignments, remember? That made me want to gag,” Alex said laughing.

Michael offered his thoughts with a chuckle. “I remember one day in History. She came up to Max and gave him a note, offered him ‘a round’ in the Eraser Room during fourth period. You should have seen the look on his face. I think he was the most horrified I’ve ever seen him. Even more than when he walked in on his parents having sex.”

“Oh God!” Alex and Maria said in unison.

“Yeah. He wrote her back saying he wasn’t interested in sloppy leftovers, considering every guy in Roswell had sampled her gratuitous T and A. She shamed the good name of the Eraser Room.”

They all shared a companionable laugh at their memories.

“So where are we headed?” Michael asked as he eyed the mile marker. Roswell – 33 miles. Thank God, he thought. He really had to pee.

“Roswell, dumbass.”

His eyes drifted sharply to Maria’s amused expression reflected in the rear view mirror. An eyebrow of his rose as he said, “I know that pixie. I mean where in Roswell.” He made a mental note to ‘punish’ her for that dumbass remark later tonight.

“That big storage shed complex off of 19th Street, “Alex explained.

“How come we’re goin’ there?”

Alex stayed quiet for a minute, until he answered, “Liz’s parents’ things are there.”

“She said we have to help her look for something,” Maria offered.

“What something?” They both shrugged in response. “Well, how long are we going to be here?” They shrugged again.

“Doesn’t this girl tell you guys anything? Didn’t you even ask? You are aware we have finals in ;ole a month?”

“We didn’t ask because we don’t have to,” Alex said flatly. “With friends you shouldn’t have to ask. Are you telling me that if Max called you up asking you to do something for him, you would ask questions first?”

Michael already knew the answer, and the question went unrequited – the three passengers knowing the answer. They fell into a comfortable silence as they all prepared for their arrival into their hometown.

“I’m hungry.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Michael nodded his agreement, and they stopped at McDonald’s at the next exit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A single tear fell down her cheek and she struggled to maintain control of her raging emotions. His heart broke at the sight, knowing that he was the cause of it. Why was everything such a struggle for them?

“Liz, I …”

She hurriedly pushed him away and sat up to retrieve her pants on the floor. She didn’t want him to see her anguish or tears. She would be strong – even if it killed her in the process.

“No, its okay. I mean I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I just hoped we were … I don’t know what I was hoping for. I understand. That’s not what you want and that’s fine…”

Her voice trailed off as she searched for her shoes, desperately trying to not make eye contact with him.

If she had, she would have witnessed his dumb-founded expression. She was apologizing. Why? She didn’t do anything but allow him the exquisite privilege of loving her. And now she was pulling away?

No.

His heart ached in his chest, swelling with suffering and distress. He couldn’t imagine never having her in his arms again. He had just found her, and it was too cruel to think that he would loose her this soon.

“Liz, I’m sorry if I went too far before. I know, I know that it’s too soon after the whole Kyle thing. I just … I love you so much. I had to stop. You know, before things went too far.”

He saw her reach for the door and his heart felt plea stopped her cold. “Please. Please don’t go.”

She had made a concerted effort to ignore every word he had said. To actually pay him any attention would have been salt in her already bleeding wounds. It was the emotion that finally cut through her wall of indifference. He was pleading with her.

Her brows furrowed in confusion as she slowly turned to face him, keeping her death-grip on the handle just in case she needed to escape.

A million thoughts were racing through her brain. Why, being the most prevalent. Why was her life so hard? Why did she always have to suffer? Why couldn’t she have a normal life? Why couldn’t she have someone to love her?

She thought that she had; Max was more than she could have ever hoped for. At least she had had a few brilliant hours to enjoy his love. They were better than anything she could have imagined or anticipated.

‘God, had it really only been hours since that amazing moment in the desert?’ she thought. It seemed like an eternity. An eternity of having Max’s love, and her heart broke all over again.

But the gut retching pain that she felt in her heart was a wave of nauseous emotion. She had never felt this way before. She had lost her parents. She had come close to loosing her two best friends. But this loss was more than she could bear. Liz wanted to crawl into a hole, and never come out again.

Loosing Max would be the hardest thing she would ever have to endure. To get over him was an impossibility.

His eyes stayed on her, trying desperately to understand what she had said. “I guess I just hoped we were … I don’t know what I was hoping for.” She had caught herself then, about to say something from the heart, and then held it in check at the last minute. She just hoped that we were … what? What was she trying to say?

She was obviously avoiding him, what with her eyes downcast to her feet, her shoulders rigged with emotion. It seemed as if she was readying herself for an attack, as if he would physically harm her with any words he said.

He slowly stood from the bed and carefully walked towards her. “That’s not what you want and that’s fine.”

‘Not what I want?’ he thought. Oh God…

His feet hesitated in the carpet for a brief second as her words struck a cord in his heart. He knew what she was thinking. His heart clenched tightly in his chest as realization sunk in. It wasn’t him going far that had affected her this way. It was him wanting to stop.

“Liz,” he said gently as his right hand came to soothingly rub her left shoulder. She tightened her muscles quickly, rigidly, much the opposite of her posture just a few short moments ago on the disheveled bed behind them. One moment they are in Earth-shattering love, and the next they’re weeping for their loss.

Max had told himself that he loved being in her presence – the unpredictability, the impulsiveness. What had the words been the night before as he drove the jeep?

He was beginning to realize that few things with Liz Parker were ordinary, planned, or predictable. And he liked the impulsiveness. Living, and even loving, minute-to-minute was new to him. And exciting. He just hoped that their love wouldn’t die in one of those said minutes.

If he could only make this right, maybe he wouldn’t loose her love just yet. He knew he wouldn’t loose his love for her anytime soon.

She refused to meet his eyes, even with his loving, soft caress of his fingers on her sweater-clad shoulder. She fought the urge to through herself in his arms, but if he didn’t reciprocate she would be devastated. She knew she couldn’t live through it. It was too much. So she kept her eyes down and closed, awaiting the inevitable dismissal that was sure to come.

“Liz,” his hand slowly lifted to her chin, his thumb rubbing her cheekbone. She unconsciously leaned into his embrace. “Liz look at me, please.” His tone was warm and loving, much the opposite of what she was expecting.

She couldn’t help herself, or her heart that cried out for him. Her eyes slowly rose, filled with tears and sadness, but more than that – a need to be loved. By Max Evans. Only he could love her the way she needed to be loved, and they were both starting realize this fact. Her heart stilled in her chest, waiting for his next words. The anticipation was maddening.

His eyes searched hers for several moments, confirming that the love he held was mirrored in her eyes. There was still something to save, and he wouldn’t give up until he had won her back. But he prayed that he hadn’t lost her yet. That thought was too much to accept.

She saw his lips move, but the words eluded her, and she fought the urge to shake her head of the emotional fog. His words had been muddled and she waited for him to repeat them. Surely he hadn’t heard him correctly.

“Did you hear me Liz? I said I love you. I love you and I don’t want you to go. Ever.”

The seed had been planted. Now it was his turn to hold his breath, his blood pounding in his ears. His hand hadn’t moved from her cheek.

She was so close and yet so far away.

‘Hopefully not for long,’ he thought.

Her voice was breathy, husky, whispered. “Wha-What?”

A small smile fell across his lips at her surprise. He had been right. She thought he didn’t want her. Oh how wrong she was.

“I said I love you.” Her muscles finally loosened, achy from having to maintain a rigid stance for so long. She sagged, leaning against him as small tears silently over her cheeks. He still loved her. That was all she could have hoped for.

“I love you, too,” cam her mousy, quiet reply, almost as if she were afraid to say the words out load.

Max welcomed her into his embrace, engulfing her in his warm arms. His mouth fell close to her ear, whispering words of love until her sobs quieted. He directed her back to the bed and they sat peacefully together.

He spoke first, offering an explanation.

“Liz, why did you pull away from me?” He sensed her shutting off again. She averted his eyes and started to turn her back to him. But he would have none of that. His hands firmly held her shoulders, gently forcing her to face him and answer the question.

“I … well, you stopped.” Her cheeks blushed at the memory of their exploits at the time. Ah, such a fine memory to relive. “I guess I just assumed you … that you didn’t want me.” She was completely embarrassed and suddenly found the bedspread completely fascinating.

“How could I not want you Liz?”

She shrugged.

“I dunno. For so long I never thought anyone would love me. The thought of someone like you … loving someone like me … its just too good to be true.”

“You don’t know how wrong you are Liz. You’re scared of letting someone in, to let someone see all of you. Don’t you see? I have – I’ve seen all of you. And I’m still here. I’m still here Liz. And I love you more than ever,”

Her eyes closed in revelry, memorizing his words for the future. ‘Just in case,’ she told herself. ‘Just in case he changes his mind, I’ll have those words to cling to. To remember for the rest of my life.’

Her chin quivered with renewed emotion, this time of overwhelming love and devotion for the man who had unknowingly changed her life completely, forever. He had found it in his heart to love a girl who was, by all of her definitions, unlovable.

He had brightened her world. Shown her colors and emotions and passions that no one had ever elicited in her before. She had lost so much, had suffered so much. And for so long it was entirely too easy to close herself off to anyone.

But he shattered that defense quiet easily with three words spoken from his heart. Three words that she honestly thought she would never hear.

She threw herself into his arms, seeking comfort that she so desperately needed. Bearing her soul seemed a necessity. “I thought I wasn’t enough,” she confessed sadly. “I thought you had realized that … that I wasn’t good enough or, or beautiful enough. I thought you were stopping because you realized that I would never be enough for you. I’m always going to be a burden.”

“No!” he said emphatically. “You will never be a burden, Liz. Don’t ever say that. Loving you will never be an obligation. It’s a privilege.”

She clung to him, her arms around his neck.

He clung to her, his arms draped around her stomach, holding her close.

Their foreheads met in acceptance. They hadn’t lost each other.

‘At least not yet,’ she thought. There was still the matter of what lay ahead in Roswell. What they uncovered today, in the storage shed that held all of her personal belongings that survived the estate sale, held her life in limbo.

What they would discover today would either strengthen Max and Liz’s bond, or cause a rift between the two young lovers. She could only hope it was the first that came to pass.




To be continued ...